Seed-corn tester.



S. CARLSON. l

SEED CORN TESTER.

APPLwATIoN FILED 11011.13, 1912 1,088,534. Patented Feb. 24, 1914 a :azizx:azzman m.-

NlThhlt STATE@ @hlll SAMUEL CARLSON, OF ELK PGINT, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SEED-CORN TESTER.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL CARLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elk Point, in the county of Union and State of South Dakota, have invented newI and useful Ii'nprovements in Seed-Corn rlesters, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates toa seed corn tester, the main object of the invent-ion being to provide a device of this character by which grains removed from numbered or otherwise designated ears of corn may be subjected to germinative tests in correspondingly numbered compartments of a testing apparatus, thus enabling the tests to be carried out with respect to the different individual ears of corn without liability of confusion or mistake.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which is simple of construction, convenient, reliable and efficient in action, which is adapted to enable grains from a maximum number of ears of corn to be simultaneouslyr tested, and in which provision is made for enabling the seed grains to be tested by any of the methods in common use.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter' fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure l is a front elevation of a seed corn tester embodying my invention, showing the door of the tester easing thrown open. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the tester casing on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the tester casing on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. et is a perspective detail view of one of the seed trays. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the part of the partition thereof removed. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail section showing the construction of the water discharge outlet used upon the water pan and seed trays.

rIhe seed corn tester embodies a frame 17 including supporting standards 18 at the outer side thereof and a suitable elevated base or platform 19. Carried by said frame is a casing or chamber having top, back and side walls 20, 2l and 22, each composed of a Specification of Letters IPatent.

Application led November 13, 1912.

Patented Feb. 24C, '1914.

Serial No. 731,178.

pair of spaced galvanized met-al plates 23, each pair of plates being spaced along their marginal edges by asbestos strips 2li, suitably secured thereto and forming a dead air chamber to preventany sudden or material ductuations of temperature within the casing. The bottom of the casing consists of a single galvanized metallic plate having a covering of asbestos 2G. The front of the casing is adapted to be closed by a hinged door 27 made of wood lined interiorly with lgalvanized sheet iron and which may be tened in closed position by any preferred type of fastening means. Arranged below the bottom of the casing is a heating chamber 28 closed on all sides except the front and provided with a base 29 on which rests a lamp or other suitable heater 30 whereby the bottom of the casing may be heated to maintain the interior thereof at a suitable temperature during the operation of testing the seed corn.

Arranged within the bottom of the casing is a water pan 31 which is removable through the front of the casing and provided with a pull handle 32 and a water discharge or drain tube 33 having in its bottom a drain outlet 34 and adapted to be closed by a plug or stopper 35. rEhis pan is designed to be partially filled with water which is heated from the lamp to maintain a moist condition of the internal atmosphere, to facilitate the germination of the seed. rThe drain tube is located a short distance above the bottom of the pan 31, so that when the pan is filled with water a determined proportion of the water may be discharged, leaving just sul'licient amount of water in the bottom of the pan for the succeeding operation. arranged above the water pan within the casing is a series of seed trays 36. 37, 38 and 39. which rest upon brackets 4:0 supported by cleats t1 secured to the sides of the casing, the water pan and seed trays being thus readily insertible and withdrawable through the front of the casing. Each tray is provided with a pull handle 4t2 and a water discharge or drain tube 43 provided in its bottoni with an opening iet and adapted to be clos-ed by a plug 15, whereby the moisture contained within the tray may be conveniently disl charged. The water discharge tube 33 of the pan 3l is located at or near the top thereof, while the water discharge tubes otl the trays are located near the bottom thereof, as shown, so as to afford greater convenience in the discharge ot the water therefrom.

The tester is designed to be used in connection with a racl having spaces or compartments to receive the ears ot corn from which samples ot grain have been removed tor testing purposes7 which compartments of the rack are numbered or otherwise suitably designated or diiierentiated; and it isY desirable to provide means whereby the lots ot seed under test may be maintained sepa` rate, so that. the germinative power ot the seed or kernels of each ear in the rack may be determined with absolute certainty. F or his purpose ot holding the lots ot' seed separate, the trays 36, 3.7, 38, and are provided with seed receiving compartments equal in number to the receiving spaces or compartments ot' the rack employed and numbered to correspond thereto.

The compartments otl each trayare Jformed by Va removable rack ll-G composed of longitudinal and transverse partition plates 4T and 48 slitted for interlocking engagement with each otherI` and thus 'forming a series of compartments t9. The bottoms of the compartments ot the rack are closed by a bottom wall of woven wire or other mesh material secured in position by tongues 5l on the partition plates which are bent to hold the mesh bottom in place. rlhe rack il-6 is of a length somewhat less than that ot the tray so that it may be reciprocated back and Aforth to uniformly distribute the sand, sawdust or other moisture absorbent material employed therein during the testing operation.

ln using the apparatus according to the water method ot' testing, a half inch layer ot sand is placed in the bottom ot each seed tray and suiiicient water poured in to cover the sand, about one-quarter ot an inch, after which the compartment racks are placed in the trays mesh side out and reciprocated back and forth until the sand is uniformly distributed and covers the wire meshes. rlhe seed to be tested is then placed in the rack compartments ot the trays, in groups of six or more in each compartment according to the arrangement of the ears from which they have been removed in the spaces or compartments of the supporting rack. rilhe trays are then inserted in the tester casing, the door of the latter closed and the seed allowed to remain for a period of about twenty-tour hours or until the seed have taken up sutlicient moisture, after which the trays are partially Withdrawn and the excess mois ture discharged through the outlets t. The trays are then pushed back into the casing, the water pan partially filled, the casing closed and the heater set into operation to heat the interior of the casing until the seed corn has germinated sutticient to indicate the vitality of the ears respectively indicated thereby, which usually requires a period of from three to tour days. The defective ears may then be discarded for use as seed corn, the ears which have passed the test removed and stored for use, and the rack refilled and the operation above described again carried out for testing a second lot of corn.

The method above described of testing the `eed may be modihed according to the moist sand method7 in which the sand instead ot being covered with water is simply inoistened, the seed corn inserted and covered with a second layer of sand and the asing closed and heated for the germinating operation; Instead of sand7 sawdust or other Suitable material may be employed according to the taste or fancy of the operator.

rlhe advantages of the present invention reside tirs-tin the tact that it provides means i'or testing kernels ot seed therefrom in such a manner as to maintain the seed undergoing test in a separated condition and arranged in exact accordance with the arrangement ot the supported ears ot corn, so that the operator may determine with cer tainty which ears are iit tor use as seed and which are not, and further in the tact that the seed may be tested in accordance with any ot the methods commonly employed and in such a manner as to accurately indicate their germinative vitality. Furthermore, the apparatus is simple of construc tion and may be supplied and operated at a low cost.

er thermometer or other suitable means may be employed to indicate the internal temperature ot the tester casing, so that the temperature may be regulated whenever required.

I claim l. A seed corn tester comprising a casing, means for heating the same7 and drawers arranged within the said casing and provided with reciprocable partition racks each having a perforate bottom.

A seed corn tester comprising a casing, means tor heating the same7 a water containing pan mounted in the base of the casing7 and drawers arranged above the pan, each having a partition rack reciprocably mounted therein and provided with a perforate bottom.

3. A seed corn tester comprising a casing, means for heating the same, a series of drawers removably mounted within the casing, each provided with a drain outlet, a water containing pan mounted in the base of the casing below the series of drawers, and` a partition rack reciprocably mounted in each drawer and provided withv a pertorate bottom.

4. A seed corn tester comprising a casing, mounted in each drawer and provided With 10 means for heating the same, a Water oonu perforate bottom. taining pan removably mounted in the buse In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature of the easing, said pan being provided with in presence of two witnesses.

e drain outlet at or near the top thereof, w w a. series of drawers removably mounted in SAMUEL (JARLON' the easing above the pan and each provided Witnesses: With a. drain outlet at or near the bottom WV. H. FATE, thereof, und a partition rack reoiproeably M H. CLEMENTSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti. Washington, D. C. 

